AA Comment on the new Data Use and Access Bill

The Data Use and Access Bill has been introduced to Parliament with the aim of harnessing the power of data to boost the UK economy.

In response, Konrad Shek, Director of Public Policy and Regulation, Advertising Association, said:

“We welcome the introduction of the new Data Bill as a successor to the Bill that fell at the end of the last Parliamentary Session. A lot of good work went into the previous Bill. We are glad that many of our recommendations have carried over, and some of the more contentious parts have been dropped.

The new Bill retains the helpful reference to direct marketing as an example of a legitimate interest, and the scientific research definition will benefit the market research industry. At first glance, the exemptions for certain cookies look useful. Furthermore, we also welcome duty on the ICO to have regard to promoting innovation and competition. Finally, we are pleased to see that provisions to enact a form of ‘centralised cookie control’ via secondary legislation and direct marketing for the ‘purposes of democratic engagement’ were dropped.

Fundamentally, it is important that the UK can modernise its data protection framework but still preserve the high levels of data protection we currently enjoy. Responsible use of data sits at the heart of the online advertising industry. It is key to a modern 21st century data-driven economy and important to its growth. As the Bill was only published today, we will continue our analysis of the Bill to determine what impact it will have on industry. We will also monitor the Bill’s progress through Parliament with great interest and will continue to advocate for member priorities”.